NHS Lothian has reportedly spent more than £1 million on locum staff to take over the workload of a whistleblower.
Psychiatrist Dr Jane Hamilton had claimed to NHS managers St John's Hospital in Livingston was badly run and patient safety was being put at risk.
Police intervened and a detective took a statement from Dr Hamilton after she alleged in The Herald earlier this year NHS Lothian managers attempted to prevent her repeating her concerns about St John's mother and baby unit.
Dr Hamilton had been placed on "special leave" on a full salary since the incident.
Details released under freedom of information to Scottish Labour show the cost of covering with locums between January 2009 to March this year was £1.1 million. Dr Hamilton told a Sunday newspaper the cost was "disgraceful".
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